Tag Archives: county-by-county

As news first circulated that I was terminally ill, many colleagues surfaced who wanted to insure that my work was documented and to offer their skills to the process. Little did they know, I am a hoarder. Few papers were ever discarded by me and many were carefully filed. And then another colleague decided to get a degree in documentation, Sarah Loose, and when she returned from Columbia University she set to work.I am still alive and this project is ready to go public.Most of you live far, far away but if you are near and curious feel welcome to join us this Sunday in Portland, Oregon.

Over 20 years ago, Marcy Westerling’s passion for organizing sparked a statewide movement for human dignity. Today, that movement continues to break new ground, building county-by-county organizing infrastructure that evolves to reflect the ever-changing face of rural Oregon. Because of Marcy’s work within Oregon and beyond, the Rural Organizing Project’s model has become an inspiration to organizers and communities around the country.

Join us on Sunday March 1st to celebrate and support the launch of Rural Organizing Voices! A project dedicated to expanding knowledge and strategies that advance rural organizing.

Rural Organizing Voices makes Marcy’s organizing wisdom and the stories and lessons learned throughout ROP’s 23-year history publicly available. Funds raised will support the completion of the Rural Organizing Voices Oral History Project and the establishment of a permanent “Marcy Westerling Collection on Rural Organizing” at the University of Oregon, featuring Marcy’s personal papers, case studies on the ROP model and a county-by-county archive. This cache of materials shares lessons from over two decades of organizing in rural Oregon and will be a touchstone for future rural organizers and leaders for decades to come.

We hope you can join us on March 1st! Drinks and light appetizers will be provided. Bring your checkbook!

The Peace House is ADA accessible; however, if you will be coming in a wheelchair it would be helpful if you could let us know in advance (sarah@rop.org or 503-367-0157).

Not able to attend the House Party but still want to support ROP and these legacy projects? Donations can be made on the ROP website at: http://www.rop.org/rural-organizing-voices-donations/ or by sending a check to: ROP, POB 1350 Scappoose, OR 97056. Include “Rural Organizing Voices” in the memo line.